NEWFANGLED GRILLS ADDING AN EASY-DOES-IT TOUCH

As if responding to one of nature's primal calls, hordes of Americans ventured into their garages this weekend to begin dusting off the culinary instruments of summer.

It was time to wheel out the battered barbecue, hunt down those trusty tongs and uncork bottles full of secret backyard sauces in recognition of Memorial Day-the unofficial beginning of grill season.

But the days when barbecue meant lighting a pile of charcoal briquets in a kettle grill have begun wafting away like so much smoke.

For many grill gourmands, lighter fluid has been replaced by lava rocks, deluxe water smokers and cherry wood chips. And the latest crop of newfangled grills come complete with pancake griddles, cabinet space, triple-tiered cooking grates, fish baskets, even a place to put your wok.

"Grilling has become so sophisticated," said Donna Myers, spokeswoman for the Barbecue Industry Association, based in Naperville. "With some of these new grills, it's like moving your whole kitchen outside for the summer."

Indeed, a top-of-the-line, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink gas grill can cost an outdoor chef thousands of dollars, said Larry Fine, owner of Barbecue and Restaurant Equipment Corp. in Berwyn.

What's the appeal of such costly backyard technology?

"It's about time and convenience," Fine said. "When everyone had charcoal grills, it could be a real project-preparing the charcoal, dousing it with lighter fluid, waiting an hour or so for it to be ready.

"Now, you just go out the backdoor, lift the lid, push a button to start the burner and go back inside to have a drink."

That simplicity, grill connoisseurs say, is largely responsible for the growing popularity of barbecue in the United States.

According to a 1993 study by the Barbecue Industry Association, 83 percent of American families owned a barbecue grill.

And gas increasingly seems to provide the flame of choice, Myers said. Of the 11.2 million grills sold in 1993, 52 percent were gas, compared with only 28 percent in 1983.

Then again, not all spatula-toting grillers are looking for convenience in a barbecue. Although gas may be quicker, they argue, it's just not the same.

"You get that wonderful smoky taste with charcoal," said Chicago resident Ruby Ellis, who joined her family for a cookout Sunday in Lincoln Park. "It's just a better taste to me than those gas grills."

As he eyed a selection of ribs, chicken, burgers, steaks and hot dogs on a smoky charcoal grill, Ellis' son, John, added his vote for tradition.

"I could grill on this thing all through the year," he said. "When I want some barbecue, it's gotta taste like barbecue. And that means smoke."

Considering that more than 809,000 tons of charcoal briquets were sold in the U.S. in 1993, it seems that Ellis is not alone in his taste. Despite the growth of gas grills, about 60 percent of grill owners still use a charcoal barbecue, Myers said.

Of course, many would argue that the type of grill being used has no bearing on the quality of barbecued food.

For every grill in every backyard, there is a tong-wielding "expert" on the secret to perfect barbecue.

"It's the seasonings, that's the key," observed Mike Jones, 23, of Wicker Park, as he cleaned up from a cookout along the lake. "You've got to let the meat soak in those seasonings overnight.